A professional video camera (“Camera”), also referred to as a Television camera, is a high-end device for recording in an electronic format (as opposed to a movie camera, that records the images on film). Originally developed for use in television studios, they are now commonly used for corporate and educational videos, music videos, and direct-to-video movies.
Most, if not all, Cameras have a 5-pin XLR connector allowing for two-channel audio output. However, the 5-pin XLR must be hardwired for a particular channel. Hardwiring requires, in most cases, an engineer to solder custom cable wires into the system in order to use one channel or the other. In order to switch channels, the hardwired pin must be manually changed.
For a Camera to provide 2 channels of audio output, two female-end 5-pin XLRs, at a cost of approximately $8.00 each, two 3-pin XLRs, at a cost of approximately $5.00 each, must be purchased. The correct pins must then be hardwired onto the Camera. The engineer hired to do this work paid anywhere from $25 to $60 per hour. It takes an experienced engineer approximately one hour to complete wiring for one channel. Because Cameras are usually carried from one site to another and face a multitude of environments, wear and tear on the hardwiring can be significant. If the hardwired connection fails on-site, and no engineer is there to repair it, the Camera will be rendered useless. This issue can be resolved by the use of a switch, allowing the cameraman to easily change from one channel to the other without the need for hardwiring the XLR connector.
The current invention, called the 5PinProAudio SSW1, provides such a switch. The 5PinProAudio SSW1 will allow the user to change audio channels with a simple flick of a switch, alleviating the need for time and resources spent on hardwiring cameras, and the danger of failure in the field.